Ohiyesa was born into the Sioux tribe and lived in the ancient, nomadic way that his ancestors had lived for centuries, free of reservations and the dominant society that was encroaching everywhere on this way.

By the end of his life, he had become a certified MD, had published many successful books read all around the world, had helped establish the Boy Scouts, had worked ceaselessly to promote the wellbeing of American Indian tribes, and had been perhaps the most important force in interpreting for the general public the spiritual depth and greatness of the American Indian tradition, then disappearing rapidly.

How did such a person make such a journey, accumulating such accomplishments and still, under incredible pressure to conform completely to the ways of the dominant society, reaffirm for himself and successive generations the importance, beauty, and power of his heritage?